4 keys for Detroit Lions to stop Cowboys' two-game roll

ALLEN PARK -- The Dallas Cowboys won their last two games by an average of 14.5 points.

They're rolling.

Here are four keys for the Detroit Lions to stop their rumble Sunday at Ford Field:

FIRST DOWN: Stop Dallas' passing attack

Top Lions cornerback Chris Houston has scuffled the past few weeks. Now might be a good time for him to break from it, with Tony Romo and Dez Bryant hitting town.MLive file photo

This unquestionably, undeniably and without equivocation is the top key to beating the Cowboys. The Lions are beaten up at cornerback, where Chris Houston was benched at halftime last week after struggling in several games, Rashean Mathis has left consecutive games with a groin injury and rookie Darius Slay remains susceptible to the big play.

They struggled with Cincinnati star receiver A.J. Green last week, allowing 155 yards, and Dallas' Dez Bryant is every bit as good as Green. Probably better.

Detroit would do itself favors by providing its corners more help covering Bryant than they did with Green, who was inexplicably left in a lot of single coverage during the first half.

SECOND DOWN: Pressure Tony Romo into mistakes
The first rule about beating Dallas is stop its passing attack. The second rule about beating Dallas is stop its passing attack.

But it's not just on the corners. The defensive line has to do a better job applying pressure as well. Detroit made Cincinnati's Andy Dalton look like a Pro Bowler last week, but it's always easier to sit back and pick apart a secondary when you have time to sit back and pick part the secondary. Know what I'm saying?

The Lions' supposedly fearsome defensive line didn't generate a single sack until the 2-minute warning. In fact, they only have 13.0 sacks on the season, which ranks 27th in the NFL.

There are more ways to judge a defensive line than just its sack numbers. But at the end of the day, it's about executing. Detroit hasn't done that at a level that's expected -- nor required, given the corners' struggles in maintaining coverage.

THIRD DOWN: Patch up the offensive line
Center Dominic Raiola is actually having his best season yet (in Year 13!), rookie Larry Warford has been one of the best right guards in the NFL and Rob Sims has been fine at left guard. But at tackle, Detroit has been decimated by injury.

Starting right tackle Jason Fox (knee) hasn't played the past two weeks, backup right tackle Corey Hilliard (knee) hasn't practiced this week and left tackle Riley Reiff left last week's game with a hamstring injury. That leaves undrafted rookie LaAdrian Waddle and midweek pickup Barry Richardson as the only healthy tackles, and it's a good bet one of those guys will have to play against Dallas. That's suboptimal.

FOURTH DOWN: (Cliche alert) Generate turnovers
It's said a million times a season as a key for every team in the NFL. And college. And high school. And probably your kid's sixth-grade flag football team. But it's said for a reason.

Turnovers are so key to winning close games, and this game be a close one. This credo applies particularly to Detroit, whose defense has not been particularly stout.

Get this: Detroit is 4-0 when it generates multiple takeaways, but 0-3 when it doesn't. Twelve of its 13 takeaways have come in wins.

And Tony Romo has been known to blow a game or two with an untimely giveaway. Or two.